diff --git a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
index 3c2c4429..4ff0e4e1 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ class AbstractDCS(object):
         self._ctl = bool(config.get('patronictl', False))
         self._cluster = None
         self._cluster_thread_lock = Lock()
+        self._last_leader_operation = ''
         self.event = Event()
 
     def client_path(self, path):
@@ -366,9 +367,14 @@ class AbstractDCS(object):
             self._cluster = None
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
+    def _write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
         """write current xlog location into `/optime/leader` key in DCS
-        :param last_operation: absolute xlog location in bytes"""
+        :param last_operation: absolute xlog location in bytes
+        :returns: `!True` on success."""
+
+    def write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
+        if self._last_leader_operation != last_operation and self._write_leader_optime(last_operation):
+            self._last_leader_operation = last_operation
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def update_leader(self):
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/consul.py b/patroni/dcs/consul.py
index 84efa88a..5a33de12 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/consul.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/consul.py
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ class Consul(AbstractDCS):
         return self._client.kv.put(self.config_path, value, cas=index)
 
     @catch_consul_errors
-    def write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
+    def _write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
         return self._client.kv.put(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation)
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
index c58a2ddb..9104fdab 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/etcd.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ class Etcd(AbstractDCS):
         return self._client.write(self.config_path, value, prevIndex=index or 0)
 
     @catch_etcd_errors
-    def write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
+    def _write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
         return self._client.set(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation)
 
     @catch_etcd_errors
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py b/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
index 0db58ddd..b8d79672 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/zookeeper.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
 
         self._my_member_data = None
         self._fetch_cluster = True
-        self._last_leader_operation = 0
 
         self._orig_kazoo_connect = self._client._connection._connect
         self._client._connection._connect = self._kazoo_connect
@@ -156,6 +155,10 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
         config = self.get_node(self.config_path, watch=self.cluster_watcher) if self._CONFIG in nodes else None
         config = config and ClusterConfig.from_node(config[1].version, config[0], config[1].mzxid)
 
+        # get last leader operation
+        last_leader_operation = self._OPTIME in nodes and self._fetch_cluster and self.get_node(self.leader_optime_path)
+        last_leader_operation = last_leader_operation and int(last_leader_operation[0]) or 0
+
         # get list of members
         members = self.load_members() if self._MEMBERS[:-1] in nodes else []
 
@@ -179,10 +182,7 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
         failover = self.get_node(self.failover_path, watch=self.cluster_watcher) if self._FAILOVER in nodes else None
         failover = failover and Failover.from_node(failover[1].version, failover[0])
 
-        # get last leader operation
-        optime = self.get_node(self.leader_optime_path) if self._OPTIME in nodes and self._fetch_cluster else None
-        self._last_leader_operation = 0 if optime is None else int(optime[0])
-        self._cluster = Cluster(initialize, config, leader, self._last_leader_operation, members, failover)
+        self._cluster = Cluster(initialize, config, leader, last_leader_operation, members, failover)
 
     def _load_cluster(self):
         if self._fetch_cluster or self._cluster is None:
@@ -267,20 +267,20 @@ class ZooKeeper(AbstractDCS):
     def take_leader(self):
         return self.attempt_to_acquire_leader()
 
-    def write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
+    def _write_leader_optime(self, last_operation):
         last_operation = last_operation.encode('utf-8')
-        if last_operation != self._last_leader_operation:
+        try:
+            self._client.set_async(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation).get(timeout=1)
+            return True
+        except NoNodeError:
             try:
-                self._client.set_async(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation).get(timeout=1)
-                self._last_leader_operation = last_operation
-            except NoNodeError:
-                try:
-                    self._client.create_async(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation, makepath=True).get(timeout=1)
-                    self._last_leader_operation = last_operation
-                except:
-                    logger.exception('Failed to create %s', self.leader_optime_path)
+                self._client.create_async(self.leader_optime_path, last_operation, makepath=True).get(timeout=1)
+                return True
             except:
-                logger.exception('Failed to update %s', self.leader_optime_path)
+                logger.exception('Failed to create %s', self.leader_optime_path)
+        except:
+            logger.exception('Failed to update %s', self.leader_optime_path)
+        return False
 
     def update_leader(self):
         return True
diff --git a/tests/test_consul.py b/tests/test_consul.py
index 32e27462..c9acc551 100644
--- a/tests/test_consul.py
+++ b/tests/test_consul.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class TestConsul(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @patch.object(consul.Consul.KV, 'put', Mock(side_effect=ConsulException))
     def test_write_leader_optime(self):
-        self.c.write_leader_optime('')
+        self.c.write_leader_optime('1')
 
     def test_update_leader(self):
         self.c.update_leader()